I never defied the party, says Yeddyurappa

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has rubbished the reports claiming that he defied the BJP central leadership to continue in the post before the party formally announced its decision to let him remain in office.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has rubbished the reports claiming that he defied the BJP central leadership to continue in the post before the party formally announced its decision to let him remain in office.

Yeddyurappa, whose exit had almost appeared certain after the alleged land scams involving his family surfaced, said he cannot accept these false charges and the baseless allegations that he had defied the party.

"Let me make it clear, I am and will always remain committed to the party. If the party asks me to continue or quit, I will always follow the party decision," he said in his letter to BJP President Nitin Gadkari dated November 23, a day before the central leadership said he would continue in his post.

Stating that the events of the past few days had disturbed and pained him, he said a campaign of baseless allegations had been launched against him and his family members.

"I have been a political worker of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and BJP for the past 50 years. For most of my political life, I did not imagine that the party would ever come to power in Karnataka and that I would be asked to lead the government," he said in the letter made available to the media in Bangalore on Thursday.

"I have led the party to victory in the state Assembly elections, Lok sabha elections, Assembly bye-elections and municipal polls. We now have the zilla and taluk panchayat elections in near future," Yeddyurappa said.

Faced with these baseless allegations levelled by the opposition parties, he said he has already appointed a commission of enquiry headed by a retired judge of the High Court to enquire into all land allotments since 1999.

"I request that you as the party president should also examine the truth or otherwise of these allegations".